pacific fat sleeper
Dormitator latifrons
Mud sleeper of Pacific estuaries and lagoons, tolerant of fresh water and able to enter the sea. It is commercially fished and also farmed.
Also called: dorminhoco-gordo, guavina, chame, dormilón, pacific fat sleeper
- maximum
- 41 cm
- record/max.
- 1.2 kg
who is the pacific fat sleeper
Fish of the family Eleotridae, with a compressed body and flattened head, dark green to brown, with many small pale spots. It grows to 41 cm and can weigh up to 1.2 kg. It lives in estuaries, lagoons and streams with slow current, up to 30 m above sea level, and enters the sea. It breathes air facultatively. It eats mud and bottom debris, and also filters plankton. It is commercially fished and farmed. It occurs from Mexico to Peru along the Pacific coast.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the pacific fat sleeper.
fun facts
- Typical of fresh water, but it moves freely into the sea.
identification
Fish with a compressed body and flattened head, dark green to brown, with many small pale spots over the body. It has two separate dorsal fins, like the other sleepers. It lives on the bottom, mostly over sand and mud, in estuaries, still ditches and streams with slow current, and its flattened head with pale spots helps identify it.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs from Mexico to Peru along the Pacific coast, in estuaries, lagoons and streams of fresh and brackish water.
Habitat: Estuaries, lagoons and streams with slow current, over mud and sand bottoms, up to 30 m above sea level.
rules for the pacific fat sleeper
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to anglers, with no venom or dangerous spines. Since it breathes air, put it back in the water right away.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01023, b = 3.11; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Dormitator latifrons (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Dormitator latifronsNames by country and language.